When you have two of the most promising young pitchers in the game, both from the Dominican (I think, anyway), that can only mean one thing. It's time to offer Mario Soto a blank check to be the pitching coach. Or at very least, the assistant pitching instructor, or at very least pitching coach for those two guys.
Soto was brought in yesterday to watch a bullpen session with Cueto. He mentioned that he watched his last start and could see that Johnny had gotten away from what he does best. He re-worked the grip on his change up. More than likely, he gave him a much needed shot in the arm (Not the kind Barry Bonds took), as well.
I bet you anything that Cueto's next start is a good one.
Soto is a great resource and would be a perfect fit. We need him here full-time now that we sport these two young rookies. Dick Pole is a fine pitching coach and I love his name. If this team is committed to winning, they need to make sure both are around to help this staff out.
On the pitching side of things, the present and the future look bright in Redsland. Harang has gone from a fifth starter to one of the best in the NL--a true ace. We now have guys to compliment him to make a fine rotation. Bronson, when he's not making those terrible JTM commercials, is right where he should be--a fourth or fifth starter. He is not a number two...(I just had an Austin Powers flashback). When we can rely on him in the fourth spot, it takes the pressure of Arroyo and the Reds staff in general.
There was a time when signing a guy like Josh Fogg was necessary. Now, we can give him a much needed pink slip and not miss a beat. The one thing about Josh that has always bothered me is that he seems fine with what he is--a .500 pitcher with a career 5.00 era. Go back and look at his career. He has one good start then one terrible start. One good, one bad, one good--two bad. I never could understand that. What makes a guy good one start and then simply awful the next? Why can't he string together a few decent starts?
Does he not try after a good start? Does he just think to himself, "Ok, I had my good start, now I can be awful this next time out because I am nothing more than a .500 pitcher." ?? The last start he made, when he got absolutely rocked, I watched him leave the mound. He just casually strolled off as if nothing happened and sat down...ho-hum. I was infuriated by this. You can learn a lot by body language.
This may be an era in MLB when being a .500 pitcher with a 5.00 era is the standard. Guys like Lohse and Silva (Seattle) get big bucks to be just below average. One good start, one bad start. One good, the next--awful. In the case of Silva, that equates to 10 million per season.
I can't accept that and neither should the Reds. I don't like knowing ahead of time that if you give a guy like Fogg 30 starts, you are going to suffer at least 15 losses before he even takes the mound. Some argue that you'll probably get 15 wins as well. That friends, doesn't equate to a winning season or a winning atmosphere. In the case of Josh Fogg--a .500 record isn't a given either. It is what the back of his baseball card dictates will likely happen, but it's not a promise. You can count on the losses and the 5.00+ era, but you can't bank on the wins. If the Reds are going to get over the hump--they have to start changing the mentality that being average is not acceptable.
Which is why the development of Cueto and Volquez is so important. Having Mario Soto there to mentor them is the best possible thing this organization can do. I like that they bring Soto in on occasion--I'd like to see them offer him something permanent.
Cincinnati (AP) Adam Dunn was traded today to The King and His Court, a barnstorming softball team that features a pitcher who tosses from second base and two other players. In return, the Reds received free tickets to see The King and His Court and "future considerations".
"Wayne Krivsky actually made this trade before he got fired, but we waited a few days before we announced it because it was so incredibly stupid that we had to take time to digest it", said new GM Walt Jocketty.
Rumors are swirling as to who the Reds might use to replace Dunn in LF. "Jay Bruce will not be called-up", said Jocketty. "Bruce is too good and has such a bright future ahead of him that we simply cannot afford to showcase his talent on this team that can't hit."
Dunn had little to say about the trade. "Like, I knew I was gonna be dealt sooner or later. I am cool with it being a softball team, because I can really crush bigger balls...you know, like softballs. They are bigger."
The King and His Court has grown into a world renowned success with the King and His Court performing for more than 20,800,000 fans in over 4,405 cities worldwide and throughout 104 countries, all while traveling over 4,100,000 miles and providing over 2,947 pitching and hitting clinics for boys and girls around the globe.
"I just hope I can make the 4 man roster", said Dunn. "I mean, I would be expected to cover a lot of ground I would think and I don't like doing much of that."
My thoughts after this ****ing poor performance again.
The Reds are truly one of the 2 or 3 worst teams in baseball. It's not just the standings--they really are a bad team.
I am, of course, sitting here listening to George Grande try to make it all sound "nifty" in Redsland...but, yeah.
Pic said this after the game on FSN..."Volquez pitched well enough to get the win, but he didn't get the win." My god.
Dunn and Griffey Jr. are killing this team. Dunn looks like he's playing for a beer league softball team. That sounds fun and all, because you like...drink lots of beer and get to hit a big ball around and check out chicks...but he's making 13 million and playing for a MLB team.
Paul Daugherty asked the question on pre-game (radio) if we still make the Hamilton trade. Hell yes.
The dumbest commercial EVER:
"Lightning flash across the sky. I'm lookin in your hazel eyes. I'm looking for something, but I can't find it....." THESE LYRICS MAKE NO SENSE AT ALL. ALL THEY DO IS RHYME.
Affeldt is having a great year out of the pen. Good signing (so far).
"This is gonna be big..Alamo electronics...it's gonna be so huge."
Pic is talking about Mother's Day and how it relates to Edinson Volquez's first base hit. What the hell?
Do you wonder if Dusty Baker goes home at night and thinks to himself..."my god this sucks".
I want to be on Lance McCallister's show. It would be fun. People would laugh. I could do a weekly installment of "Deep thoughts".
I chewed gum today and got it in my hair. I am still pissed off about that. I am 36.
Noodles Hahn pitched for the Reds from 1899 to 1905. He got the nickname, "Noodles" because he used to bring Chicken Noodle soup to his father. (A good thing he didn't bring him rump roast).
Check out the IP for Noodles:
1899 309 IP
1900 311.3 IP
1901 375 IP
1902 321 IP
It's no wonder his arm fell off sometime around 1906. This was way before the "middle reliever". Back then, you got the ball and you pitched until the game was over. The deadball era was interesting because the baseballs were just that--dead. It was common for a baseball to be ruffled and misshaped by the end of the game.
I wonder what Noodles Hahn would think of Josh Fogg...
How did I save 5 bucks you ask? I will tell you! I am drinking a beer at home and not at the ballpark. Simple. The way I look at it, if I drink 12 beers tonight, I will save around 60 bucks. That is excellent financial planning folks!
Paying Ryan Freel, Todd Coffey and Mike Stanton millions of dollars to suck, is not!
Incidentally I was thinking today about what I would do if someone came to me and said, "Craig...I would like to pay you 3 million dollars a year to suck really bad at your job." And, I'd like to offer you a three year contract to boot.
I'd have to wear sweatpants an awful lot...
(If you don't get that, it means I'd probably have a continual Woodrow Wilson)
It must be great to be in AAA and be making 3 million dollars because you suck so badly, that the major league club can't possibly fathom putting you on the mound anymore.
